HELPS in THREE MINUTES
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Do you have debt you can't afford to pay?

Are You Receiving Social Security, Pension or Disability Income?

WE CAN HELP.


HELPS is a nonprofit law firm and 501(c)(3) charitable organization. We serve senior citizens and disabled persons struggling with debt.


Call HELPS now to learn how your retirement income is protected by law and how we can help.

Thank you for your information.

Need immediate help? Call 855-435-7787 to speak to a HELPS representative.

HELPS and the Practice of the Law

Learn More About How HELPS Provides Representation For Its Clients

HELPS does not represent persons in court, nor do we provide “legal advice.” We represent seniors nationwide as attorneys solely to receive collector communication under the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act. We do not represent persons in court. In the unusual case that a client may actually require an attorney, we are always able to find a local low cost or pro bono attorney to help.

We have consulted with bar associations regarding what HELPS does. We represent clients in the state where they live to receive communication as an attorney who is a member of the bar of another state. Agreeing to receive communication does not constitute the practice of law. The FDCPA does not provide that an attorney must be a member of a local bar to require a collector to cease communication with a debtor.

After practicing law for 40 years, our Executive Director Eric Olsen started HELPS because many lower-income and poor seniors had no place to get answers to their questions. The internet has very little accurate information directed specifically to the financial issues facing poor seniors. They could not afford nor did they need to file bankruptcy. But if creditors were not paid, they would call and send letters and make the seniors’ lives miserable. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has identified collector harassment as the number one complaint of seniors who contact them.

Many seniors are simply not able to handle unwanted collector contact on their own. HELPS represents our clients ongoing in order to stop unwanted collector contact. We fight a daily battle educating poor seniors trapped by debt settlement and even some nonprofit debt resolution companies. These seniors are making payments out of their limited, protected income that they cannot afford to make and do not need to make.

We do not have strict income guidelines to receive our assistance. Therefore, we can help a broad range of seniors. Clients can call on the phone and speak with a HELPS representative immediately; they do not have to come to a local office to receive our help. They can be enrolled while they are talking on the phone and receive an email verifying that we represent them to receive collector communication.

Legal Aid hotlines for seniors provide a valuable resource. However, they are not available everywhere, and many have limited services. Often seniors need ongoing support, as dealing with collectors can be debilitating. Our clients can always call us as many times as they want with concerns or worries – and many do. The most common thing we hear from our clients is that “HELPS brought peace back to my life.” Our website has many videos from actual clients talking about HELPS and we have a YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/helpsnonprofitlawfirm with testimonials and educational information on many topics.

The scope of what we do is always clear on our communications. At least a quarter of the seniors we help receive our help for free. For those who pay, the amount is minimal. No one is ever denied our services because of an inability to pay.

HELPS is the only nonprofit law firm I am aware of that does specifically what we do. It is our hope that over time Legal Aid organizations will see us as a resource for the many seniors and disabled people they can’t help, never as a competitor. Because we aren’t. We would hope that you can see the good that we do to help lower-income and poor seniors that is largely not being addressed.

Learn More About Other Issues and What HELPS Can Do For You.

Peace of Mind
These HELPS clients were dealing with harassing debt collectors and anxiety over old Debt. HELPS provided a solution to their financial worries.